The Spring's Thorns
by k.l.martin
Summary: When Mother Nature, guardian of the island, wants the gods to understand human nature by studying them up close, Zeus reluctantly agrees with it. The gods begin to attend Karasuno High for one month. Upon arriving there, they meet Karasuno's Volleyball Club. What will happen when both world's collide?
1. Chapter 1

Kusanagi sat her notebook down on the table. Troth was giving them too much homework for her taste. Sighing, she stretched her arms and cast a look toward Apollon. She secretly had a strong crush on him. Thankfully, no one else knew. None of the Gods did.

Takeru threw his feet up onto the table.

"So, what's got you so fluster, Weed-chan?"

"My name is Kusanagi!" she corrected him for the fifth time that day.

"Yeah, yeah, Weed-chan."

"Kusanagi! Ku-sa-na-gi!"

He was growing impatient on her no matter how much she liked and trusted him. Turning away from him she focused herself on Apollon and Balder, who were now getting into an small argument over the food on the trays.

"Ugh...guys...?" she meekly asked them.

They were too far into their conversation. She turned her head back to her notes. Today they had been studying about the chemical makeup of a human's body. Takeru shrugged, thew his feet off the table, and slammed his hand on the table, just inches from Kusanagi's notebook.

"Can't you see she's wanting to study, you brain-dead idiots!"

"Oh! I'm sorry, Fairy-chan." Apollon slides next to her and takes her hand in his. "I never meant to hurt you."

"Heh, heh. It's okay, Apollon-san."

Looking at Balder, she saw annoyance written across his angelic face. Those two were always so jealous of each other when it came to her. She found it quite adorable. Blushing a dark shade of red, she pulled her hand away from Apollon and laughed.

"Thoth-sensei told us we have to study this for our quiz tomorrow." Kusanagi picked up her notebook and began to skim over what she learned only an hour ago.

Apollon and Balder looked at each other and then to her again.

"Fairy-chan, please let us study with you. I think it would be so much more fun."

She blushed again. "Yes, Apollon-san. Takeru-san, you want to join us?"

"I'm going to class, aren't I?"

There it was again. His sour attitude. Something about school didn't set with him.

"What's wrong with a little studying?" she asked innocently, her purple bangs falling neatly into her eyes.

Takeru's cheeks lit up. Those cinnamon eyes of his sparkled. "Ugh..." was all he could manage to get out.

"Haha! I think you embarrassed him!"

Loki's arrival would bring plenty of excitement with his tricks and jokes.

"Shut up!" Takeru turned his head away, anger crossing that gentle face of his.

A sweat drop ran down the side of Kusanagi's face. "Loki-san, please. We're trying to study."

He looked to her with a bored expression. "Huh? Why would you wanna do that?"

A bell suddenly rang in the distance.

"What was that?" Apollon asked.

Kusanagi looked to the group and struggled with an answer. "Well, it could mean one of two things. Either Zeus-san has a curfew in place for us-"

"What?" Takeru exclaimed.

"Or the other one, Zeus-san wants us to meet in the area where we all first met."

"Let's try the other one. I'm sure Uncle Zeus-san wants to see us all."

Standing up from their seats, the group agreed to meet there.


	2. Chapter 2

_Bored as always_, I thought to myself.

Shrugging, I continued to walk along the walkway to the doors connecting to the gym. I've heard rumors about the Volleyball Club, but I wanted to see them for myself. The 'King of the Upper Court' was supposed to be going here. I saw him last year during the preliminaries and found myself drawn to him. There was something about his style, the way he called out to his teammates...okay, maybe not that great with how he ordered them around, but it still got him somewhere.

I blushed at the thought. His dark hair falling in his eyes. The sweat dripping from his chin. His quick movements.

"Better luck next time!"

"Right!"

The closer I stepped to the gym, the more their voices could be heard. Holding my breath, I moved in even closer. Through the crack in the door I could spot the group practicing. The spiky orange haired one ran at full speed toward the net right as a dark hair person tossed the ball to him. The orange haired kid slammed his palm into the ball and watched it hit the floor. The dark haired one spun around shouting 'yes'. In fact, both of them did. My heart did a little skip and leaned in to fall into the door and push it open.

"Great going, Yuki..." I mumbled to myself.

Rubbing my forehead, I peered out from underneath my long bangs. All the boys were staring at me. I instantly jumped up and apologized.

"It's okay. What's your name?"

"H-Honda. Honda Yuki."

"Well, Honda-chan, are you alright? That looked like a nasty fall."

"Ugh...yeah! I'm used to it by now!" My whole face felt like it was on fire.

I glanced around to the orange haired boy.

"Hey, aren't you in my class?" I asked him.

He looked at me with a confused stare.

"Yeah. I think you are. Don't you sit right behind me?"

I nodded.

"Yo, what're you doing here?"

I craned my neck to look at the boy to my left. His dark hair and navy blue eyes fit perfectly with the boy from the preliminaries. I felt a blush run across my cheeks. The annoyance on his face was even more perfect in person.

"N-nothing..."

I turned away from them and ran out of the gym. How could it be possible that he's here? The King of the Upper Court had been only three from me.

"Hey!" I heard a young male voice call out to me.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw the orange-haired boy running after me. He stopped behind me, trying to catch his breath.

"My name's Hinata. Hinata Shouyou." He held his hand out for me to shake, a big grin on his face.

"Wh-where do you get your stamina?"

He cocked his head. "I guess I've always had it." A smirk was plastered on his face. "You can come back and watch if you want. Kageyama always had his angry stare."

"Really? I never knew..." I never did see his face properly from in the crowd. I wish I did. "So, his name's Kageyama?"

"Yeah. You gonna come back and watch?"

"I know nothing of volleyball. I'm afraid I wouldn't know what you guys are doing."

Hinata grabbed my hand. "Who cares. Takeda doesn't either, but he's learning. He's the club's faculty advisor."

"So, are you and the King going to do any more of those tosses?"

He nodded in excitement. "You bet, but don't call him 'King'. He gets really mad when you do."

"Oh..." Disappointment stabs me in the chest.

We run into the gym again. Kageyama is leaning against the wall drinking from a water bottle while a few other teammates hit the ball. My heart speeds up. I'm actually in the same room as him, the one who stole my heart a year ago.


	3. Chapter 3

The group of gods and one lone human stood before me. Zeus was standing behind me, his eyes coldly fixed on everyone else. Thoth was keeping in the shadows as everyone gathered in the mail hall.

"Hey! Why'd you call us here?" a boy with sea blue hair called out.

I turned my full attention on him and my voice caught in my throat. He was just as cute as I remembered. He was so young when it happened...

_No! I can't let myself fall for it!_

I shook my head vigorously. There was no way I was going to fall for a tactic like that again. I know Zeus cares for humanity and the gods, but did he really have to bring him in? A sigh escaped my lips.

"Well...even though you are not allowed to leave Hokoniwa, it is necessary for you to learn more about humans, correct? That is why I, Natura Mundi, also know as Mother Nature, will be opening a portal to Earth for a short period of time."

The gods erupted with happiness. Shouts and bellows echoes throughout the main hall. I glanced at Zeus for only a second and he slammed his staff into the ground. The floor trembled like an earthquake. Everyone turned their heads back to us.

"Let her speak. Natura-san, continue."

"Ahem. As I was saying, you will go to Earth, but you will not be able to leave the town you are in and your limiters will stay in play. Therefore, you will not be able to use your deity forms at all. I will accompany you on your journey. Thoth will also be joining us. That is all."

"Wait! What's going on? Why are we going to Earth?"

"Humanity will be easier to learn from if you are around more than one human. Our journey will be one month long. I will tell you more details when everyone is packed and ready to go. Meet back here in one hour."

I turned away from them, my feet sluggishly dragging along the red rug.

"Zeus-san, why is _he_ here?"

"By what do you mean?" He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"The sea god! Why is _he_ here?"

My blonde pigtails fell gracefully around me as I spun to face him. We where out of the sight of the gods, so this made it easier to ask him.

"He doesn't get along with humans. I am only thinking of the future of the gods and humans. You should know that, Natura-san."

"I know, I know. I just didn't know _he_ was going to be here..."

My face drooped. Zeus put his hand on my shoulder.

"Natura-san, you are one of the few goddesses who can make him happy. Help teach him."

With that, he let go of my shoulder and left. I was left standing there alone. I couldn't go confide in Thoth. We just never got along. Somehow, I don't think this was a good idea getting the gods involved with humans.

The hour passed slowly. My stuff was packed and waiting in the main hall. All I had to do was make sure everyone was there. Quietly stepping up to the top of the stairs and looking down, I found almost all of the gods where standing there. One was missing. It didn't matter, he wasn't even there when I spoke about the trip.

"Since everyone is here, I will gladly explain any questions you have."

At once six hands shot up. _His_ hand was up as well.

"You, the one with the red hair. What is your name?"

"Dionysus, Natura-san." I nodded, urging him to continue. "Well, where are we going to be exact?"

A smile flickered at the corner of my lips. "Well, it's a place in Japan, set in the twenty-first century. I'm sure one of you will understand what I'm talking about."

"That still doesn't tell us anything." The blue haired boy crossed his arms. "Where? What's the town?"

"The Miyagi prefecture. It's pretty large area, so don't get lost."

The girl's eyes widened. "Miyagi prefecture? Doesn't that mean we're..."

"Yes. Is everyone ready?" Nods rippled through the group. "Good. We'll be going now."

I lifted my hand above my head and watched as hundreds of green vines form together and start to glow a vibrant yellow-green color. In only a few moments a portal was floating just inches off the ground.

"One at a time, please. Just walk on through and you'll be there in no time."

One by one, the gods entered the portal. At last it was just the human girl, Thoth, and her. She nodded for them to go. Thoth made the first move and entered, leaving the two of them alone.

"Natura-san, I didn't know that you were planning something as extensive as this."

"It's okay. Zeus-san and I set this up a few days ago. Now, go along. I'll be right after you."

I followed after her. The warmth of the portal filled me with strength. I'd soon be exiting the portal though.


End file.
